Rogue Wave Read online

  In the passenger seat, perfectly at ease with her environment, sat Aliana Wolfgang. Her long, tanned legs reached seductively downwards, the slight cut in her skirt revealed little, but filled him with desire. He swung the car around the distinct V shaped bend, he was about to accelerate up the next straight.

  That’s when he saw the plume of smoke.

  It rose up like a funnel. Dark and ominous in the snow-covered mountain, it appeared out of place. Then he saw the skid marks, and the broken guardrail.

  Aliana looked at him. “It appears someone’s just had a pretty bad day.”

  He put his foot on the brake and stopped the car, hard. Pulling the Rolls Royce over next to the missing guardrail. “Come on, let’s see if anyone survived the crash.”

  “Sure,” she said. Her eyes telling him what he already knew. The occupants were already dead.

  He put the hazard lights on in his car, and left it running while he walked to the edge of the road. Looking down, he could see the tangled mess of a car still burning. His eyes scanned the edge of the road and cliff to see if the driver had been thrown, and miraculously escaped.

  There was nothing.

  “Oh my!” Aliana said. “I believe that was Mr. White’s car.”

  “Really? How can you be sure?” There was little left that visibly resembled the original car. It was impossible to determine its color, or even the make.

  Aliana pointed at the license plate lodged into the decimated guardrail. “DRSIX9 – I remember thinking what kind of shmuck would drive a sports car with that sort of number plate!”

  “Doctor? I thought he said he was a life insurance broker?” Sam lost interest in his trailing thought process. He had just spotted the second set of tire marks. “Look. Someone else was here. Another car struck White, sending him over the edge.”

  “The question is did they do so accidentally or did they intentionally come after White because of what he knows?”

  “The coincidence seems highly unlikely. So, now we have one of the four leading scientists from New World Industries and a life insurance broker who knew about Luke’s alleged murder, dead.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be the other three scientists.”

  “No, I think it’s time I pay them a visit – before we run out of people to question.”

  Chapter Six

  Sam spun the wheel round and returned towards the direction they had come from. Aliana looked at him. Softly, she said, “Where are we headed?”

  “Denver International Airport.”

  She held to the side of the door for balance. “We just passed it eighty miles back, why are we heading there now?”

  “Because living scientists provide better answers. And that means we’ve got to get to them before THEY do.”

  She looked at the billowing smoke behind them. “Shouldn’t we report this to the authorities?”

  “Leave it for somebody else. We have to get going if we want to beat them to the remaining scientists.”

  Aliana smiled. It was slightly coquettish, while at the same time implied he’d done something wrong. “You don’t even know who the other scientists are. Let alone, where they can be found.”

  “Good point. Call Elise. Tell her to find out what Luke was working on. Tell her we’ll need to know who the other three scientists were, and their current location.”

  “She’s that good?”

  “Elise?” He smiled at her. “She’s better. She’s probably the best computer geek on the planet. And her specialty is data mining and extrapolation at the extreme level. She was brought in to the CIA when she was still a kid for her unique skills. Then, when she didn’t agree with the way they ran the system. She tried to resign. They didn’t like the idea of losing their best weapon, so they tried to refuse.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “She left. Created a new identity for herself. Lived in Europe for a while – and now works for me. On her own terms.”

  “Wow, smart kid.” Aliana picked up her phone. Copied the number off Sam’s cell and called. “Elise. Sam needs your help.”

  Sam accelerated up the gears quickly.

  The Rolls Royce Phantom increasing speed like a champion racehorse released from the gate. He pressed the car phone symbol on the steering wheel. Scrolled down to the third last phone call received. And pressed call.

  “Hey Sam, how’s your vacation going?” Tom asked.

  Sam changed down to second gear as he came into the next sharp corner. “You know damn well how my vacation’s been!”

  “Oh right, Benjamin White. Sorry about that but he seemed insistent that you could help him out, and he said that it really was important.” Tom didn’t sound apologetic. “How is Mr. White?”

  Sam threw the car back into third and accelerated hard. “He’s dead.”

  “Really, how?”

  “His car was rammed off the road. One of those unforgiving edges on Vail Pass. His car was a fireball by the time we found it. There’s no way anyone could have survived.”

  “But why would someone want to kill him?” Tom asked.

  Sam looked at his speedometer. He was doing nearly sixty miles an hour. He came over the crest and saw the red logging truck. It was in low gear, slowly making its way down the pass. Sam pulled into the middle of the road to see if he could overtake. An oncoming Winnebago blocked him. He looked to the breakdown lane on his right. A yellow pickup was stopped, blocking it too.

  He slammed his foot on the brake and shifted down the gears until he was right behind the logging truck. “I don’t know yet. Look. I’ll explain it all to you when I see you. How soon until you can meet me at Denver International Airport?”

  “If I take the Sea King, I can be there inside an hour.”

  “Good. Do it. I’ll explain everything when we get there. My father’s jet will be waiting for us.”

  “Sure.”

  “Oh, and Tom. I think this might just be connected to those mysterious rogue waves which have been damaging my father’s fleet.”

  “Really? There’s been another one?”

  “Yes. A scientist name Luke Eldridge. Apparently he was assassinated by one.”

  “That sounds pretty farfetched.”

  Sam saw an opening and pushed his foot right to the floor, accelerating past the logging truck. “I agree. He was one of four scientists working on a secret project. Apparently someone just made them an offer for their breakthrough. It appears the offer was nonnegotiable. Those who weren’t interested were killed. And the one person who knew anything about it, Benjamin White, just got killed.”

  “Interesting. Where are we headed then?”

  “To meet the remaining scientists. My guess, whoever’s left alive must be on THEIR side, or are about to be killed. Either way, we have to get to them quick.” Sam casually changed down into second gear and prepared for the next bend in the road.”

  “Do you know where they are?”

  “Not a clue. Elise is in the process of getting me some names and locations. I’ll fill you when I get there...”

  Crash!

  Sam stopped his sentence short –

  Because someone had just smashed into the back of his car, sending the Rolls Royce out of control.

  Chapter Seven

  Sam gripped the steering wheel. Swerving inwardly, he handled it with the precision of a racecar driver, as his powerful Rolls Royce fought to stay on the narrow road. At the same time, he touched his accelerator lightly, bringing his four-wheel power to his assistance to pull him out of the deadly spin.

  Aliana swore.

  Then turning her head around to look, she said, “It’s them.”

  Sam glanced in his rear view mirror. A large yellow pickup with pitch black tinted windows was on their tail. Red paint could be seen on its hood.

  “It’s the one we passed earlier! The one in the breakdown lane. Get a picture with your phone. We’re going to find out who owns that truck,” Sam said.

  He floored the accel
erator and his powerful V12 began distancing itself from their attackers. Then they reached the straight. Sam increased speed. He looked in the rearview mirror. And the pickup was keeping up with them.

  What the hell?

  Aliana turned to have a better look. “Damnit! What the hell do they have in that pickup?”

  “It must have a custom build under its hood. Don’t worry; when we reach the next series of corners, we’ll lose it. A small truck that size will never be able to keep up.”

  Maintaining their distance, the occupants of the yellow pickup became more desperate. Sam heard the shots fire. They must have gone wide by a mile, because he couldn’t even see where they landed.

  “There’s a keypad next to the glovebox. My dad keeps a 50 caliber Magnum in there for emergencies.” Sam overtook another truck. He heard a second set of machine gun fire. On the side of the truck were more than a dozen holes. The shots were getting closer. “I’d say now’s an emergency.”

  Aliana sat forward. “What’s the code?”

  “666.”

  She raised her eyebrows at him. “Really?”

  Several shots fired into the rear windscreen. Small cracks formed like snowflakes but the bullet proof glass held. Thanks dad! “Just get the gun and shoot them.”

  She typed in the code. Opened the glovebox and pulled out the gun. It was already loaded. She switched the safety to off. Lowered the side window, aimed, and fired – all five rounds.

  The pickup’s windscreen smashed into a million pieces.

  “Nice shooting!” Sam said. Then he saw the passenger push the remains of the broken glass forwards, and point his Uzi at them.

  “Shit. Not good enough.”

  Chapter Eight

  Sam entered the tunnel. He swung around the last corner and jammed on his brakes. The entire back end of the Phantom slid dangerously close to the life ending edge of the road. The entire Rolls Royce came to a stop, on the opposite side of the road, pointing backwards – towards their attacker.

  He waited.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Aliana screamed at him.

  Sam saw the yellow pick up round the bend. He accelerated. All four wheels projecting them forward like a rocket. “I’m finishing this.”

  Aliana gripped the side of her seat with such force the whites of her knuckles stood out. The yellow pick up continued towards them, unaware.

  Suddenly the oncoming driver saw what Sam was doing. But it was too late for him. Sam directed his Rolls Royce towards the middle lane and slammed into the pick up’s front left wheel. The massive 5800 pounds of curb weight from the over-engineered Rolls Royce plowed into pick up’s left wheel, sending it turning to its right.

  The pickup’s left wheel came to an instant stop, causing the pick up to slide. The driver tried to correct for it, but he was too late, and the top heavy pick rolled on its side. The driver, now no more than a passenger on an uncontrolled freight train, looked up with just enough time to see the guardrail approach at speed. The heavy pick up demolished the guard rail, sending it rolling down the cliff on the other side.

  Sam shoved the Rolls Royce into reverse. And then spun it around so that it was facing the correct direction along the road, and then got out of the car. Below, the pickup had rolled at least twenty times before striking a large rock at the bottom with a spine-breaking crunch.

  “You okay, Aliana?”

  Aliana fidgeted with the hem of her short dress. “Fine, but it does seem like every time you take me on a date, someone ends up trying to kill me.”

  “If it makes you feel better, I think these people were more interested in killing me. You were just collateral damage. And it would have been a terrible waste, had they succeeded.”

  “No, it doesn’t make me feel any better!”

  Sam stared at the broken pickup truck at the bottom of the hill. A slow puff of smoke dispersed from its crumpled hood. It was unlikely anyone had survived the crash, but you never know. All Sam knew was that the only person he knew who might shed light on what was going on was trapped in that mangled wreck.

  “I wonder if I should go talk to them,” he asked.

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” Aliana said.

  A moment later, the flame reached the fuel pump and the pickup swiftly became engulfed with fire. No one got out of it.

  “You’re right. I guess they’re no longer interested in talking.”

  Chapter Nine

  Sam drove into the private entrance of the Denver International Airport. It was a hangar used by the rich and famous to leave their private jets. Just outside, and on the tarmac his father’s Gulfstream stood prepped and waiting for him to board.

  “How did you know it would be here?” she asked.

  Sam stopped the car and left it in First Gear. “My father has a business meeting in Denver today.”

  “So you’re planning on just taking his jet?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and got out the car. “I’d say my need is greater than his, so yeah. Sure you don’t want to come with us?” he asked.

  “No. I can’t. I have other responsibilities. Things that don’t involve me getting shot at.”

  “I’m sorry. Really, it was out of my control.” He felt hurt. “Are you going to be all right?”

  She smiled. Her lips curled in a deliciously coquettish manner. “I’ll be fine. I’ll catch a public flight from here.”

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  She moved closer to him. Wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on his lips. A slow, passionate kiss. “I’ll see you around sometime.”

  “Good bye, Aliana.”

  “Good bye, Sam.”

  And that was it.

  He knew she’d said her good byes. It wasn’t ever a matter of one of them loving each other less than the other. Simply a case of each one living another life. Both of them tremendously driven. And neither willing to compromise.

  Sam quickly boarded the Gulfstream.

  Tom met him at the door and shook his hand. “Where are we headed?”

  “Boston, Massachusetts.”

  “Why, what do you want to find there?”

  “A man named Timothy Locke.”

  Chapter Ten

  The twin jet engines of the Gulfstream G650 screamed as the pilot released the brakes and the jet leapt forward down the runway. Utilizing less than half of the runway, they were in the air.

  Sam sank comfortably into the leather chair. He sat in the study with Tom at the other end of the large mahogany desk. The jet finished climbing to its cruising altitude, and then banked to the left before settling on a direct course towards Massachusetts.

  “Where were we?” Sam asked.

  “Timothy Locke.”

  “That’s right. According to Elise, he lectures occasionally at MIT in exchange for regular use of one of their super computers. He also just happens to be the third scientist who was working on a secret project named Elixir Eight.”

  “Let me get this straight. Luke was killed for his refusal to accept their offer. Benjamin White, we can only guess was taken out for coming to you with information about the offer –”

  “Actually, Benjamin was the second scientist. Elise did some searching and found the names of the four leading scientists who worked for New World Energies. Amongst them, was Benjamin White. I’ve seen the photos, and it’s the same man I met earlier today.”

  Tom looked at him. “So why go to the trouble of making up a story about Luke’s life insurance broker?”

  “That’s what I said. So Elise looked into it. Turns out, Luke’s life insurance broker received a text regarding Luke’s murder. Of course, he never got the chance to read it or investigate it. On his way home from a bar he was mugged. Not just mugged. Stabbed multiple times. Must have died within minutes. Randomly, his license and cell phone were the only two things taken from him. They left a fifty and two twenties in his wallet.”

  “The buyers had Luke’s life insurance broker’s cell ph
one bugged?” Tom asked.

  “It looks like they weren’t taking any chances. When they discovered what Luke had sent the poor man, they had him killed too. Then, they sent Benjamin to go and find out if I knew anything. Once I showed my ignorance Benjamin probably assumed they’d kill me. He had no idea his life was about to be sacrificed too.”

  Tom shook his head. “What makes you think Mr. Locke is going to talk to you?”

  “Because only I can offer him protection.”

  “What about the fourth person?”

  “Peter Flaherty? He doesn’t exist.”

  “You mean, no one’s seen or heard from him since he arrived back stateside? He’s probably done the only smart thing, and run for his life with all that money.”

  “No, I mean Elise couldn’t find any record of him – other than on paper.”

  “Maybe he removed it all before he fled?” Tom suggested.

  “Elise would have known. No, they made him up. I’m sure of it.”

  “Or, he’s already dead?”

  “The first one to fall?” Sam thought about it for a minute.

  Tom persisted. “Maybe they killed him and then tried to remove his name from ever existing.”

  Sam stared out the window. “You’re right. That’s a more likely option.”

  Sam poured two glasses of whiskey, and then leaned back in the luxurious armchair within his conference room. Handing one of them to Tom, who was seated next to him with the vacant expression of man preparing to sleep for the flight, Sam said, “Now, shall we discuss the rogue wave?”

  Tom took a large sip of his drink. “What about the rogue wave?”

  “I think it’s fair to at least entertain the possibility that someone’s telling the truth.”

  “You think they exist?” Tom replied.

  “Of course they do. That was never in doubt. You and I have both spent enough time on the ocean to know that these things do occur naturally.”